Changes in 2020 Points Charts

[Dean]

I think DVC is one of the best timeshare companies due to customer service. For example, I bought 2 discounted annual passes for children we were planning to adopt but it fell through. When I arrived at the park, they gave us a full refund on the annual passes even though they are non refundable. At Animal Kingdom Lodge, they gave us a $85 lunch credit at the restaurant of our choice simple because the front desk person told us at 9 am that our room would be ready by 12 noon, and it was not ready. They did not need to do that since check in is not until 4 pm. I have more positive stories than negative stories with DVC. I know there are many DVC haters on TUG because it is so expensive. I think unless you are a DVC member, it is hard to understand the benefits. Exchangers are probably not treated the same way as members.

While I don't have any specific complaints for DVC, side by side Marriott and Bluegreen have treated me better in general and for service and attention while during a stay, DVC falls FAR behind consistently. If there's something not in the unit and you call DVC, they schedule it on round and you're lucky if you get it in a hour. For any other timeshare I can recall, it's there in 10-15 minutes with a follow up phone call to make sure it made it and all is in order. Here are a few examples. At Grande Ocean a couple of years ago we had an entire stove top that went out in one of our units. It wasn't a big deal but they had to secure another, took 2-3 hours total. Even though we kept assuring them it wasn't an issue (had 6 other units, didn't need it at the moment) they kept apologizing and ent a bottle of wine as well as several follow up phone calls. Same trip one of our group posted a review on facebook about how great the resort was, the resort staff saw it and send a gift basket. At the Aruba Surf Club last trip 3 years ago the AC in the studio side went out. They worked for hours but couldn't get it fixed, set up a portable unit without being asked (work great BTW) and came back the next morning and spent hours more including the supervisor coming in on his day off (either Saturday or Sunday). The only complaint I can think of with Marriott wasn't service but rather the resort itself, KBC. Marriott also does much better and is more consistent with villa assignments while DVC has changed checkin from 4 pm till "after 4 pm) and taken away any system structure for assignment when it used to be by when the reservation was made.

 

[bnoble]

Here are a few examples.

In contrast, I had a dishwasher die at DVC's Beach Club Villas several years ago. It took two days to get it replaced, with dirty water fermenting in the bottom of the unit.

 

[SueDonJ]

... Panina....DVC does treat their members differently than other timeshares. We get discounts on annual passes (and sometimes super discounts when the mother ship is feeling generous), discounts at some places to eat, discounts on merchandise, discounts on some special events, and we able to purchase the Tables in Wonderland card that gives you 20% off at nearly every sit-down restaurant in WDW, including alcohol. Worth it when travelling with a large group of if you visit often. They also do these events called Membership Magic, where they close one of the parks in the evening and members get a "private" party.....although tickets are hard to get.

There is no doubt at all that DVC offers a more inclusive experience than any other timeshare company but that's due to the nature of the Disney beast rather than anything they do above and beyond the other companies. It can't be ignored that no other timeshare company is tied into a sprawling theme park complex that means you never have to step foot off-property for anything, or that any other company has as much of an obligation to corporate to keep their guests spending their money inside the property line rather than outside!

But they are not alone in offering discounts or special events to their guests. Marriott does it, albeit on a smaller scale, but at every Marriott timeshare resort I've visited they've offered guest- or owner-only activities on the weekly schedule, and most give out a list of outside vendors which offer discounted dining/recreation options that you get just by showing your key card. For example, Hilton Head Island is smaller than Disney World by far but the list of discounts with vendors all over the island is always at least a page long and usually two.

Like I said, I'm a Disney freak while Don is not. I love Disney World and could happily go over and over and over while he will not. I am the captive audience that DVC is marketed to while Don will never be. All that to say that I'm not just criticizing DVC because I don't "get" the allure. I do get it, but I pay for it through cash stays or owner rentals. Honestly, in my opinion the DVC timeshare units themselves are not as well-appointed or well-kept as some other timeshares, and I agree with Dean that the famed excellent Disney customer service doesn't always extend from the theme parks to the lodging facilities.

 

[blondietink]

WE own both DVC and Sheraton/Westin timeshares. I have found that DVC is excellent at service as are the Westin resorts. Our stays at Sheraton timeshare have been ok, but nothing to write home about. Usually for the Sheraton, we are there simply for a place to sleep and it fits the bill. I'm not wasting my time or money exploring and using a timeshare in Florida when I am busy in the parks. If we want a day off, then maybe I would enjoy them more. Westin are usually places like Hawaii, Mexico, etc., so our stays there are for entirely different reasons than a Florida stay. They all have their plus and minuses, but I will say we have never had an issue with our stays at Lagunamar in Mexico and the service there is top notch.

 

[Dean]

In contrast, I had a dishwasher die at DVC's Beach Club Villas several years ago. It took two days to get it replaced, with dirty water fermenting in the bottom of the unit.

Unfortunately I've seen a number of reports of similar issues for DVC including multiple calls and no one ever showing up. I haven't had a specific problem but side by side DVC does the on site stuff poorly comparatively speaking.

 

[blondietink]

We had a problem with our dishwasher at BLT in October, so I called guest services at 10 pm Sunday night. I told them there was no rush to fix it, but Bob the maintenance guy stopped by 20 minutes later and got it fixed right away.

 

[TravelTime]

Here is a back to back comparison. I stayed at Marriott Ko Olina and at Aulani, both 1 BR OV. I loved them both for different reasons. There was no difference in service that I noticed. We did not have problems at either location. We are MVC and DVC members and both are home resorts. Both got crowded by mid day and it was hard to find a shady area to sit by noon.

Marriott Ko Olina
Pros: Bigger rooms, bigger property with more common area space, beautiful ocean view from a high floor, great value
Cons: No theming, few onsite restaurants

Aulani
Pros: Nicer rooms with better finishes and real woods, great theming in the rooms and throughout the resort, beautiful ocean view from high floor, across the street from the mall so easy to eat offsite and buy groceries, a little bit of Disney magic in the islands with character appearances
Cons: More expensive
Potential future con?: Next to Atlantis, may become more crowded in the lagoon area?

We were in the top floor (16th floor) at Aulani with the most spectacular view. While the view was excellent at both, the room we stayed in at Aulani was much nicer due to the theming, finishes and more direct ocean view than the room at MKO (10th floor, slightly angled ocean view).

We loved this trip so much that we are repeating it with another split stay over Thanksgiving 2019. This time, we got a 2BR ocean view exchange into MKO. So from a cost perspective, MKO is hands down a better value. I am sure we will enjoy both resorts again.

There was no change in the 2020 points chart for Aulani.

 

[ljmiii]

I think DVC is one of the best timeshare companies due to customer service...

While I don't have any specific complaints for DVC, side by side Marriott and Bluegreen have treated me better in general and for service and attention while during a stay, DVC falls FAR behind consistently...

I had never really focused on the customer service aspect of DVC before and after reading these and other posts realized I've never stayed anywhere that had such a huge disparity between the quality of their 'front end' and 'back end' service.

I've had the front desk and concierge shower us with 'pixie dust' many times. The most notable during a recent trip where my mom unfortunately became ill, had to go to the hospital, and a few days later returned to WDW in a wheelchair and was now accompanied by my dad (who in a massive case of bad timing decided to let her go 'alone' with us for the first time because he didn't want to do Disney yet again). And the concierge did magic with ADRs and Fastpasses and 'handicapped' accommodations to make it all work out so my mom (and the rest of us) could have as wonderful a time as possible under the circumstances. In short, DVC's 'front end' customer service can rival that of a fine European hotel.

On the other hand, good luck getting something you need out of the housekeeping or even engineering staff. We've had stuff stay broken for days, items on the 'list' remain missing, and supplies go unreplenished despite multiple calls. At this point we just vulture off the carts.

 

[TravelTime]

I had never really focused on the customer service aspect of DVC before and after reading these and other posts realized I've never stayed anywhere that had such a huge disparity between the quality of their 'front end' and 'back end' service.

I've had the front desk and concierge shower us with 'pixie dust' many times. The most notable during a recent trip where my mom unfortunately became ill, had to go to the hospital, and a few days later returned to WDW in a wheelchair and was now accompanied by my dad (who in a massive case of bad timing decided to let her go 'alone' with us for the first time because he didn't want to do Disney yet again). And the concierge did magic with ADRs and Fastpasses and 'handicapped' accommodations to make it all work out so my mom (and the rest of us) could have as wonderful a time as possible under the circumstances. In short, DVC's 'front end' customer service can rival that of a fine European hotel.

On the other hand, good luck getting something you need out of the housekeeping or even engineering staff. We've had stuff stay broken for days, items on the 'list' remain missing, and supplies go unreplenished despite multiple calls. At this point we just vulture off the carts.

That is a good point. I have not had problems at a DVC resort. When I commented that I think DVC has the best customer service, I am commenting on their front end service at the resorts as well as the telephone service when booking resorts. Next time I go to MKO and Aulani, I will do a back to back comparison by reporting some type of housekeeping issue and see what kind of response I get from each company.

 

[Dean]

I had never really focused on the customer service aspect of DVC before and after reading these and other posts realized I've never stayed anywhere that had such a huge disparity between the quality of their 'front end' and 'back end' service.

I've had the front desk and concierge shower us with 'pixie dust' many times. The most notable during a recent trip where my mom unfortunately became ill, had to go to the hospital, and a few days later returned to WDW in a wheelchair and was now accompanied by my dad (who in a massive case of bad timing decided to let her go 'alone' with us for the first time because he didn't want to do Disney yet again). And the concierge did magic with ADRs and Fastpasses and 'handicapped' accommodations to make it all work out so my mom (and the rest of us) could have as wonderful a time as possible under the circumstances. In short, DVC's 'front end' customer service can rival that of a fine European hotel.

On the other hand, good luck getting something you need out of the housekeeping or even engineering staff. We've had stuff stay broken for days, items on the 'list' remain missing, and supplies go unreplenished despite multiple calls. At this point we just vulture off the carts.

They are often scary flexible but unfortunately dramatically inconsistent in such areas. They will bend and break their rules at every turn and often return points when it's inappropriate. Then the next person in the same situation, nothing. For example, they had a couple of back to back refurbishment situation with AKV where they had to relocate upcoming guests. One of these was for the concierge where guests had booked at 11 months out as a once in a lifetime option. DVC left it up to AKL and by the time they got around to getting things done, there was nothing left but mostly SSR. Some got free dining plan and a return of more than the difference between the 2 options, others just got the difference in points returned and nothing else and I'm sure a lot of in between. As I said, I'm not complaining only comparing my experiences and information. Side by side DVC does poorly while one is in the unit in my experience of owning 24 years and Marriott almost as long.

 

[nomoretslt]

And on the offsite timeshare that I recently "gave back" to Diamond resorts, we had no airconditioning and no wifi for more than two days during a very hot Labor Day week. Fortunately we were staying at a studio at BWV for one of those nights, as I was able to get into a Moonlight Magic event at AK. The person I was with was blown away with BoardWalk Villas...mind you we were in a studio as compared to a two bedroom duplex. Could not get over how beautiful it was and how nice it was to walk to Epcot and Hollywood Studios. I can't believe how much we were able to cram into that one night visit. Really made me realize how much time was wasted driving back and forth from the other place and really made me appreciate my DVC that much more. I was so happy to give back that other place!! I've never had experience with any other timeshares other than that one, though. And really don't have any big complaints about DVC. I do have issues with people that pile up their pizza boxes and garbage outside their door instead of taking to the trash room.

 

[littlestar]

I am seeing chatter on various forums from folks glad they never bought into DVC because they thought the points were pretty much set. If they raised it here, it went down there. Also questions on whether a reallocation between villa sizes for non lockoff’s is allowed.

 

[TravelTime]

I am seeing chatter on various forums from folks glad they never bought into DVC because they thought the points were pretty much set. If they raised it here, it went down there. Also questions on whether a reallocation between villa sizes for non lockoff’s is allowed.

It is disclosed when you purchase that the points are not set. The totals are set but within categories, they can change. This is not different than any other timeshare. Marriott and others have the same rule. I am perplexed as to why people think the DVC point chart will never vary within category. Also the changes within categories changed by 0-3 points at most. I guess if someone bought a small contract simply to stay in studios, this may affect them. They should sell their contracts if they are so upset. They can get all their money back and move on.

 

[TravelTime]

I have noticed that people are snapping up DVC contracts right now. A month ago, there was a record number of people selling contracts and they are almost all gone.

There is also a rumor that Disney is increasing the buy in costs for the original 14 resorts. If true, this will be another huge price increase. This will may cause resale prices for the 14 to increase.

 

[ljmiii]

There is also a rumor that Disney is increasing the buy in costs for the original 14 resorts. If true, this will be another huge price increase. This will may cause resale prices for the 14 to increase.

It certainly happened for VGC last year - the direct price went up $50 and resale prices skyrocketed.

 

[TravelTime]

It certainly happened for VGC last year - the direct price went up $50 and resale prices skyrocketed.

This is the rumor from mouseowners.com:

VGC to $260pp
VGF to $245pp
Poly to $235pp
BLT to $220pp
BWV to $190pp
AKV to $176pp
SSR to $160pp

Supposedly the guides are releasing information informally. It seems multiple people have heard this from their guides. I hope this means resale prices will increase or hold steady so I can easily sell my contracts some day.

 

[Dean]

I am seeing chatter on various forums from folks glad they never bought into DVC because they thought the points were pretty much set. If they raised it here, it went down there. Also questions on whether a reallocation between villa sizes for non lockoff’s is allowed.

This isn't the first time it's happened but it's the first time like this. They lowered THV and raised others at SSR back when. Some think it's not allowed and there has been wording posted that points for a "unit" must balance, different wording that points for a "vacation home" must balance and a third wording that it's by resort. All the legal paperwork I have puts it by resort which is the one feasible way they could make any changes. Under FL law lockout's are counted as the full unit unless the developer designates otherwise and the POS for DVC puts it by full unit not locked off. Legally it's just a rearrangement but for those looking at smaller units, it's an increase in many cases. Technically allowed but not good for them.